Spring rigging for locomotives and other vehicles



H. A. HOKE March 29, 1938.

SPRING RIGGING FOR LOCOMOTIVES AND OTHER VEHICLES Filed June 25, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR: arr .6". fibkf/ BY v \ TTORNEYS.

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March H. A. HOKE 2,112,622

SPRING RIGGING FOR LOCOMOTIVES AND OTHER VEHICLES Filed June 25, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 09 WITNESSES:

Patented Mar. 29, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SPRING RIGGING FOR LOCOMOTIVES AND OTHER VEHICLES Harry A. Hoke, Altoona, Pa, assignor to The Pennsylvania Railroad Company,

Philadelphia,

12 Claims.

My invention relates generally to spring rigging for locomotives and other vehicles. More particularly, my invention relates to the manner of connecting the spring hanger to the spring and to the equalizer.

For some years the spring rigging in use on railway locomotives has included a spring hanger connected at its ends to an equalizer and to the spring by means of gibs. These gibs engaged the hanger through slots formed in the hanger. Trouble was experienced from excessive wear between the gibs and these slots. This wear resulted in a very loose fit allowing the gibs to incline from the vertical. This causes an excessive load and a spreading strain on the hangers at the slots. Eventual failure of the hangers in a relatively short time was the shortcoming of this rigging.

Therefore, the principal object of my invention is to provide a gib which will overcome this excessive wear and strain at the weakened points of the hanger. Another object of my invention is to provide a gib which will freely operate with guided vertical movement. Another object of my invention is to reduce the Wear and. tear on the slots in the hanger by providing a separate guide to engage the hanger at a point removed. from the slot. Still further advantages of my invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of an embodiment of my invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. I of the drawings is a side elevation of a conventional locomotive truck partially broken away to better disclose important details of my invention.

Fig. II is a fragmentary top View of the connection between the semi-elliptical spring and the spring hanger effected by means of the gib.

Fig. III is a fragmentary side elevation partly in section of the spring and hanger connection.

Fig. IV is a sectional view of the same taken about the lines IV-IV of Fig. 111.

Fig. V is a fragmentary sectional side View (similar to Fig. III) but of a modified form of gib connecting the spring and spring hanger.

Fig. VI is a sectional view of the. above taken about the lines VI-VI of Fig. VI

Fig. VII is a fragmentary sectional view of the gib of my invention as used for connecting double hangers to the equalizer.

Fig. VIII is a perspective view of the preferred form of the gib of my invention.

Fig. IX is a perspective view of the end of a hanger as adapted for use with the gib of Fig. VIII.

Fig. X is a perspective view of a modified form of gib.

Fig. XI is a perspective view of the end of a hanger adapted for use with the gib of Fig. X.

In Fig. I there is shown a conventional locomotive truck having a frame 1, wheels 2, journal boxes 3, center plate 4, center pin 5, equalizers 6, spring hangers l, semi-elliptical springs 8 and gibs 9 and I0.

My invention is specifically concerned with the gib 9 which connects the upper parts of the hanger I to the semi-elliptical spring 8 through which the hanger 1 extends, and with the gib In which connects the lower part of the hanger I with the equalizer 6. Of course my invention could be used in other types of trucks'than the one shown in Fig. I. Gibs 9 and II] are alike and the following description of gib 9 also appliesto gib Hi. The gib 9 engages a slot M in the hanger l in the usual way. The slot M is elongated to allow a certain amount of vertical movement for the gib 9. The cross section of the gib 9 is shaped according to the slot l4, allowing a 2 small clearance for free movement vertically. The bottom engaging edge of the gib 9 is rounded as at l6 and is of sufilcient length to properly engage the spring 8 in a cooperating groove II and distribute the pressure as shown. The upper edge I! of the gib 9 is also rounded but is much shorter than the edge l6, and cooperates with the upper portion of the slot M of the hanger 1, its length being governed by the thickness of the hanger l. Shoulders I8 and I9 are provided at each end of the rounded edge I1, and spaced according to the width of the hanger 1 which fits between the shoulders l8 and I9.

Having described the conventional gib from which my invention has been developed, it is clear that with the conventional gib any wear at all between the slot M, and the gib 9, the gib 9 will incline from the vertical and exert a gradually increasing spreading strain on the hanger 1 from within the slot [4. My improved form of gib is further provided with guiding arm 20 to overcome this objectionable tendency inthe present conventional form of gib. This arm 20 is formed as a continuation of the shoulder I9 and extends upwardly, terminating in an inwardly bent end 23, the guide pro-per. This. end 23 fits with a comparatively small clearance into a cooperating recess 24 formed in the end of the hanger I. This construction allows for free vertical movementof the gib 9, maintains the gib in a vertical position at all times, and also prevents excessive pressure on the sides of the slot M, in the spring hanger I, through which the gib 9 passes.

This guiding arm 20 thus distributes the guiding strain to a point in the hanger removed from the weak point at the slot l4, thereby relieving the wear in the slot l4 and avoiding any spreading strain within the slot M. It is obvious that the length of the arm and the distance between the slot l4 and recess 24 greatly reduce the effective spreading strain according to the principles governing the operation of levers.

A modified form of gib 9ais shown in Figs. V, VI, X, and XI. This gib 9a operates on the same principle as the gib 9 described above and in itself has certain inherent advantages. The arm 20a is similar to the arm 20 of Fig. VIII, but is bi-.

furcated at 23a and 23b and embraces the hanger 1a as shown in Fig. V. This avoids the need of the slot 24 and to some extent strengthens the,

hanger 1 by eliminating a portion of the spreading stress which to a small extent may occur in recess 24. Obviously myinvention may be applied to the connection between the hanger I and the equalizer 6 to the same advantage.

In Fig. VII, I have shown how the gib [00 may be applied to. double hangers 2'! and 28. receiving an equalizer .29 therebetween. This is simply an extension of the above idea and needs no extended comment, since the gib I 00 is formed like gib 9 and operates in the same way.

All the numbered parts corresponding to the preceding figures have the'letter 0 added.

The operation of my invention is obvious from the above description and comments. In this manner, I provide a simple means for avoiding the rapid deterioration of the hangers of a spring rigging without in the slightest amount reducing the free play at the connections. The gib of my invention always remains vertical in its free vertical movement and the life of the spring rigging so equipped has been considerably increased.

WhileI have described a preferred embodiment and certain modifications of my invention above in some detail, it will be obvious to one skilled in the art that further variations and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

-1. In a spring rigging having a spring hanger, a gib connectingly engaging said hangerand another element of said rigging, and a sliding guiding means attached to said gib and connected to said hanger with capacity for guided vertical movement relative to said hanger.

2. In a spring rigging having a spring hanger, a gib connectingly engaging said hanger and another element of said rigging, said gib having capacity for 'vertical movement relative to said hanger and being formed with a guiding arm which also engages said hanger with capacity for guiding movement relative to said hanger.

3. In a spring rigging having a spring hanger, a gib connectingly engaging said hanger and another element of said rigging, said gib having capacity for vertical movement relative to said hanger, and a guiding arm formed on said gib and also engaging said hanger with capacity for guided vertical movement relative to said hanger.

4. In a spring rigging having-a spring hanger, a gib connectingly engaging said hanger and another element of said rigging, said gib having capacity for vertical movement relative to said hanger, a guiding arm formed on said gib, and a guide slot formed in said hanger receiving said guiding arm therein.

5. In a spring rigging having a spring hanger, a gib connectingly engaging said hanger and another element of said rigging, said gib having capacity for vertical movement relative to said hanger, a guiding arm formed on said gib, and a guideslot formed in the end of said hanger receiving said guiding arm therein.

6. In a spring rigging having a'spring hanger and a spring, a gib connectingly engaging said hanger and said spring, said gib having capacity for vertical movement relative to said hanger, and

a guiding arm formed on said gib and engaging said hanger with capacity for guided vertical movement relative to said hanger.

7. In a spring rigging having a spring hanger, a

spring and an equalizer, a gib connectingly engaging said hanger to said equalizer, said gib having capacity for vertical movement relative to said hanger, and a guiding arm attached to said gib and engaging said hanger with capacity for vertical movement relative to said hanger.

8. In a spring rigginghaving a spring hanger,

a spring and an equalizer, a gib connectingly engaging said-hanger and said spring, a second gib connectingly engaging said hanger and said equalizer, said gibs having capacity for vertical movement relative to said hangers, and guiding arms formed on each of said gibs, said guiding arms engaging said hanger with capacity for guided movement relative to said hanger.

9. In a spring rigging, an equalizer, a semielliptical spring, a spring hanger, a gib connectingly engaging said hanger and said spring, said gib having capacity for movement relative to said hanger, a guiding arm formed on said gib engaging said hanger with capacity for guided movement relative to said hanger, and means connecting said equalizer to said hanger.

10. The invention of claim 9 characterized further by the fact that said hanger has a slot receiving said guiding arm. I

11. In a spring rigging having a spring hanger, a gib connectingly engaging said hanger and another element of said rigging, said gib having capacity for vertical movement relative to said hanger, and a guiding arm formed on said gib, said arm being bifurcated at its end, said bifurcation guidingly engaging the sides of said hanger.

12. In a spring rigging having a pair of spring hangers, a gib comiectingly engaging said hang- .ers and another element of the rigging, said gib having capacity for limited vertical movement relative to said hanger, and a guiding arm formed on said gib, said arm slidingly engaging one of said hangers for guiding movement relative to said hanger.

HARRY A. HOKE. 

